As we've mentioned before, here at Prim'd Marketing we believe it takes a village to produce awesome content week after week. Which is why we love bringing in our fabulous brand-friends to write on topics relevant to our readers. This week's post comes one of our Prim'd Partners,  Shannon Linton, Co-founder of Syntactical Editing and Writing Services (for more of her rad credentials, check out her byline the bottom of this post). 

Folks, I hate to break it to you, but it's getting harder to write good, engaging website content these days. Attention spans are shrinking—fast. In fact, Tony Haile, CEO of Chartbeat, says you've got roughly 15 seconds to convince your readers to stick around before most click away. So, how do make them stay? It's pretty simple—use compelling content. By the way, it happens to be your lucky day—here are five ways to make your website copy have big impact:

1. Try on their shoes.

Good content feels as if the writer is speaking directly to you. It can be almost scary how well they get you. You might even find yourself laughing and nodding along. Or, if you're like me, you respond out loud...to an empty room. That kind of connection doesn't happen by chance. That writer did their homework, found out who their target audience was (you), and then walked far more than a mile in your favorite shoes to catch a glimpse of how you see the world.

So, if you haven't already, figure out who your target audience is. Is it a mom between the ages of 30–40 whose kids love team sports? Great—roll with it. Or, is it a young professional in middle management at a tech company who's looking to move up the ladder? Perfect—make sure you're talking directly to them.

2. Improve their life experience.

This might sound like a ridiculously overwhelming task. It's not—promise. Before you start writing a list of all the features your product or service includes, let me save you some time. Ditch that list. Instead, focus your content on how your product or service benefits your readers. What does it do for them? How is their life experience made better because of it? 

For example, if you are a style consultant, instead of emphasizing your great closet organizational tips, sell the convenience and peace of mind that those tips will bring. Trust me—they'll love you for this.

3. Slash and burn.

Remember those 15 seconds I told you about? Yeah, you're gonna need to go a little crazy with the backspace button if you're content is gonna stand a chance. Write a draft. Read it. Read it again. Then cut absolutely every word you can. Is there a way to say what you want in three words instead of five? Do it. Tight and lean is the way to keep readers moving down your page well past that 15-second mark.

So, instead of: "Our helpful tips enable you to organize your life and return your focus to the things that matter most to you." Try: "Use our tips to organize your life and focus on what matters most."

4. Put your bossy pants on. 

Believe it or not, readers love to be told what to do. Call it the security that comes with structure. When reading your site, they don't want to get to the end of a page only to wonder where to go next. Make any action items or next steps painfully clear. You might be surprised at how well they respond.

For example, at the end of a blog post, direct your readers to a great follow-up article. Or, if you want to add subscribers to a mailing list, have a call to action with a sign up button for your readers. 

5. Optimize. No, really, optimize.

All of these tips are pretty much meaningless if readers can't actually find your site. If you're gonna take the time to make your content pop, take a just a little more time to be sure it shows up in search engine rankings. If you're feeling a little unsure about tackling SEO on your own, take advantage of snazzy tools designed to make it a little less scary. Or, turn to an SEO expert for help. You'll soon having traffic flying your way, and hanging out for a while to engage with your site. In my opinion, it doesn't get much better than that. 

---

Shannon Linton is co-founder and a writer/editor at Syntactical Editing and Writing Services. She’s happiest when spear fishing or brushing up on her knowledge of U.S. history. In her spare time, you can find her getting “chef-y,” which basically just means cooking with a glass of great wine in hand. Contact Shannon at shannon@syntacticalonline.com or tweet at her.

---

Are you a small business owner wanting to widen your network, increase your reach and grow your audience? Social media is one of the most cost-effective ways to create relationships with both your customers and fellow like-mined business owners. The social sphere can also be use to find and reach out to people with similar business or industry interests, join groups, form communities or tribes.

Relationships and connections with people in life is a basic human need… its everything. It’s the same with peers in the business world. Connecting with fellow business owners can be both supportive and empowering. Whether you are looking for a potential partner, a prospect, a collaborator, a thought leader or a mentor.

Connecting with other business professionals offline in networking situations is of course invaluable too, but follow up is your currency. Taking the time to follow up with people you met by email or connecting with them on social media, opens a window into each other’s world. Using Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook tc. to comment and congratulate each other on milestones in business bridges a gap. It keeps you in touch with past (as well as current) clients. This will keep you relevant and top of mind for future projects or referrals.

Being a service to others is an important factor in these exchanges and the following 5 tips explains how you can use different social platforms to do so:

5 Ways You Can you Connect With Like-Minded Professionals:

1. Join a Linkedin Group - Most of us our members of various groups that we have joined over the years, but how many of us check in with that group and respond to group discussions regularly? Try picking one or two groups that you want to channel your energy into that will serve a purpose for your business or your chosen industry. Creating fresh content in the form of a blog post on LinkedIn or curating useful content and resources that you have found also builds trust in your expertise.

ProTip: Schedule at least 10 -15 minutes once a week to check in with that group. Contribute to the recent discussions and offer help by sharing useful resource like your favorite business tools or apps.

2. Explore Facebook Groups – You can use the Facebook search bar at the top left corner to find people, places and things but have you tried using it to find where your ideal clients and customers are hanging out? You can find like-minded people who live in a particular area, who like certain interests such as DIY, fashion, foodies that are relevant for your business or market? You need to use your personal profile to do this, but using this search feature will help you find relevant Facebook groups to you and your business. My personal favorite is a working mothers group called The Mama CEO Club run by Megan Flatt. Not only is it a great resource with great tools like productivity hacks, but it is a supportive community for busy moms juggling their own businesses.

ProTips: A good place to start is to search what groups follow your own business page e.g. “groups of people that like Prim’d Marketing”, then competitors or businesses that serve a similar audience. Once you find a group, check recent posts to make sure it’s of interest, hang out for a while to get a lay of the land before introducing yourself. Also ask your peers which Facebook groups they recommend.

4. Discover Google+ Communities – you can also find similar business related communities on Google+, where lots of creative people are offering workshops in the form of Google Hangouts.

5. Find Your Blog Tribes  – Blogging can be an isolating art form. For those who either write their own blog or appreciate the creative process of writing one – the time involved putting something out there can feel a bit one-sided. Good news is you are not alone. There are plenty of blog tribes out there to discover, to connect with people talking about or sharing similar content to your own - both on-line and through blogging events throughout the country. This can lead to finding supportive peers and also guest blog post opportunities, I mentioned this in our blogging series that “it takes a village” to help write quality articles, and offer some content in exchange.

Using social media to connect and network with like-minded professionals by sharing and commenting on each other’s content, creates support and community. It also stretches your reach beyond your own network, by tapping into their social following, which can result into more client or customer enquiries. It has worked for us and it can work for you.

---

---